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'It was the worst pain I've ever had': Former Bear opens up about cryotherapy injury

Former Missouri State forward Reggie Scurry opened up about the cryotherapy incident that left him with severe foot blisters.

Scurry, who announced Sunday his decision to transfer to Middle Tennessee, told the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro that the January whole-body cryotherapy incident caused "the worst pain of his life."

The treatment on Jan. 22 left him and teammate Abdul Fofana with blisters on their feet which MSU said were being treated as a severe burn.

Scurry's final game in a Bears uniform was Jan. 20.

The Missouri State men's basketball team brought in an outside cryochamber owned by Kombat Cross Training owner King Owens.

Owens told the News-Leader in January that the entire men's basketball team and eight women's basketball players went through the treatment.

Owens said two of the athletes — Scurry and Fofana — were in the machine for about a minute before having to exit because they felt tingling sensations in their feet.

Until Sunday, neither player has talked about the incident with the media.

"My feet were only in the chamber for about five seconds," Scurry told the Daily News Journal. "I think I was like 20 seconds from losing my toes."

Scurry said he initially felt OK. His feet were essentially frozen, numbing any pain. But he started to feel the pain about five minutes later.

“I went through the worst pain in my life. Literally the worst," Scurry said. "I don’t think you understand the pain I went through with my feet.

"That’s what I went through for probably two full months. Waking up in the morning, I could feel the blood rushing to the bottom of my feet and just cause agonizing pain. It was the worst pain I’ve ever had in my life.”

Scurry missed the Bears' final 12 games, a span in which the Bears went 3-9. With Scurry in the rotation, MSU had started the season 15-6.

Scurry has one year of eligibility left. Middle Tennessee hopes with Scurry's injury circumstances that he will not be forced to sit out a year, due to NCAA transfer rules.

Even if he were granted a waiver by the NCAA, the decision about whether to play this upcoming season or wait until the 2019-20 season would be up to Scurry, who is still on his road to recovery.

Scurry said his feet are at about 80 percent right now.

Beside Scurry and Fofana, no other player had a negative reaction to the cryotherapy.

The incident launched an administrative investigation, which is still ongoing.

MSU Athletic Director Kyle Moats said Jan. 26 that the school won't take a chance on the therapy again.

Whole-body cryotherapy involves supercooling the body using liquid nitrogen. It is used to improve recovery and reduce soreness after workouts, though the Food and Drug Administration and others have questioned its efficacy, citing a lack of scientific evidence.

Former Missouri State head coach Paul Lusk said on Jan. 26 that Scurry and Fofana's injuries were "rather serious but nothing long term" and that the players would be out for a couple of weeks.